That’s not fair, he thought when the conclusion was presented. The ship was heading directly for the docks. The shape and size showed it was something close to a destroyer class, and no matter how many missiles were fired at it by Alliance fighters it wasn’t going to be stopped. He looked at Jack and then to Wictred, both of whom were covered in a mixture of blood and dust.
“We can’t stay here,” Jack said.
Wictred placed his hand on Gun’s shoulder.
“He’s right. That thing will hit like a nuke. We have to move, and fast!”
Gun looked back up and spotted the black smoke trail of a burning ship. It must have been the size of a destroyer and was heading to the ground at such a speed it would never be able to recover. The marines were pinned down by gunfire, but even this sound paled next to the rumble coming from the falling ship as missiles tore chunks from its armor.
“They aren’t helping; it’s just turning from one target into many,” said Wictred glumly.
The rattle of heavy caliber gunfire from the Bulldogs started to take effect, and Jack leaned out to watch a dozen of the black armored warriors fall down from the heavy fire. Given time, it looked like they might prevail, even against the odds. He lifted his carbine and took aim. A gentle squeeze, and he put another on his back, a smoldering hole in the soldier’s chest armor.
Who the hell are they? he wondered.
Missiles rushed toward the ship from a gaggle of circling Alliance fighters, but it was already wrecked and out of control. Alarms flashed inside his head, and for the first time Gun felt real fear, not for himself but for his marines. He wanted Justitium Lyssk caught, but not by losing everybody around him. He looked at Jack, his friend’s only son, and knew if he didn’t act fast they would pay the price. The computer was still monitoring the falling ship, and it gave an estimate of just over a minute till impact.
“Marine units, fall back, immediately!”
He stood up tall, ignoring the incoming fire and roared loudly.
“Get back, now!”
It wasn’t easy moving back but certainly safer than trying to engage the black armored mercenaries or the vast number of warriors around the landing platforms. The surviving marines clambered aboard those Bulldogs still working, and the rest simply ran as fast as they could. Jack and Wictred ran alongside Gun as the sound of the falling ship turned to a scream. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder and spotted the black ships lifting off from the ground and powering up their engines.
Bastards, they planned this!
Even the Alliance fighters were forced to rush from the scene, trying to get out of the danger area. A small number ignored their orders and continued to chase down the transports. Only one was brought down by the time the ship hit the docklands area.
“There!” Wictred pointed at a control tower.
The small number of Bulldogs swerved while trying to escape, and Jack, Wictred, Gun, and a dozen other marines ducked down along the lower frame of the tower. The impact was greater than any of them could have expected. Jack found himself lifted from the ground before he crashed to the floor. The impact knocked him out cold. A cloud of dust and shockwave smashed into the tower and around the rest of the marines.
* * *
Admiral Lewis stared at the Khreenk ships with an angry, almost bitter look on his face. The black transport ships that had escaped from the surface were already loaded inside. It was a standoff that he suspected could only end painfully. Several more vessels had joined the force to give Admiral Lanthua twenty-one ships, as opposed to the eleven functional ships of the Heavy Strike Group. Admiral Lewis had been forced to leave Captain Hampel’s frigate squadron behind to guard ANS Sentry before she could be towed back to the Naval Station in T’Karan.
“So they send down one ship on a suicide mission as a cover to get Justitium Lyssk off-world. Ballsy,” said Commander Lisa Sonels.
“Yeah, and it leaves us with a problem, a damned big one.”
The communications officer turned around and nodded.
“Admiral Lewis, the commander of the Khreenk fleet wishes to speak with you.”
General Daniels walked into the CIC and took up position on the flank of the Admiral. He spoke quietly so that nobody else might hear.
“The Zathee standard is flying over the capital. The revolution is over.”
Admiral Lewis should have been happy, but the formation of warships facing him was of more concern to him than the planet right now. He twisted his head just a few millimeters.
“Good news, General. That is a good start.”
He then looked to his communications officer.
“Put him on the main screen. I want you all to see this.”
She nodded and pressed several buttons. As before, the image of the alien filled half of the mainscreen, with the rest showing a forward view from the fleet of Helios and the alien fleet sitting and waiting in high orbit.
“Admiral Lewis, it is good to see you again,” said the alien through his translator, “I have orders to return my forces to Khreenk space.”
Yeah, I don’t think so.
Admiral Lewis shook his head angrily.
“Your people sent an automated fleet against my forces and caused untold casualties on Helios. You will stay here and face the legal system of the Helions themselves.”
The alien did his best job to mimic the smile of a human.
“Ships coming from in from the Khreenk Rift!” shouted Lieutenant Rola Ryante.
The large screen to the left of the main screen showed the tactical dispositions of forces around Helios. It zoomed out a little to show three of the nearest Rifts to the planet of Helios. Dozens of red diamonds marked out the ships.
“Forty-three capital ships, all Khreenk. They will be in range in twelve hours, Admiral.”
He looked at the information and returned to the smiling face of Admiral Lanthua staring right back.
“These are the escorts for the Helion refugees my government has promised to help. We are setting a course for our Rift now.”
The image cut without giving Admiral Lewis a chance to answer. Already the ships near Helios were powering up their engines and making their way away from the planet.
Sixty-four ships and the possibility of starting a war.
He looked at General Daniels who seemed tired and irritated as him.
“This fight is over, for now. You have to let them go.”
He knew the General was right, but the thought of letting the dictator of Helios escape, along with an unknown number of his followers left a bitter taste in his mouth.
“I know,” he said finally, with disgust in his voice.
General Daniels gazed at the fleet of ships as it moved away from Helios.
“We cannot risk open conflict with their ships. We have Helios secure. We can deal with this dictator if and when we see him again.”
Admiral Lewis nodded in agreement, but he was less than convinced at the General’s prognosis.
“What about the fleet we’ve already fought. Whose ships were they? If they were controlled by AI Hubs, then that mean somebody, probably the Khreenk, has contact with the Biomechs or their allies.”
General Daniels didn’t seem particularly surprised at this.
“Yes, I thought as much. I suspect they are receiving military or technological aid from the Biomechs. If that’s true, then we need to prepare and not start a war, not today.”
The two senior officers looked down at Helios from the mainscreen while the fleet of Khreenk warships moved away unmolested. Civilian traffic continued to move about as though nothing was happening.
“Signal from Colonel Gun. His forces are withdrawing to their forward bases. It’s over down there.”
Admiral Lewis sighed quietly. His chest had been pounding for what must have been hours, but at least the immediate crisis was over. He looked around the CIC and at his crew. All were busy, and ANS Conqueror had entered battle once more to come out relatively uns
cathed and with a single battle honor to her name. He tried to feel good about it, but the defeat of the unknown automated fleet left him feeling uneasy.
If we did so well, why do I feel like we’ve just been cheated?
* * *
Spartan grabbed onto his seat with his one good hand and clenched his teeth. They were only seconds away from the Rift, yet the gunfire coming from the pursuing Biomech warship was pounding them. Alarms seemed to be sounding from every single direction. Through the main window, he watched the station grow smaller and smaller. The second T’Kari ship was still there but was surrounded by continuous flashes of yellow.
“They are going to die, all of them, for us.”
Khan watched, but he seemed less affected by what was happening around them. They were now seconds from the Rift when the blast occurred. Khan thumped Spartan and pointed at the display.
“Look, the station!”
He shouted at the nearest T’Kari.
“Magnify, now!”
The alien fumbled and tapped something. The image of the station enlarged to show the stricken T’Kari warship. Something was different. The burning remains of the ship were lying on the station as secondary explosions tore her hull apart.
“Those crazy bastards. They must have rammed the station!” said Khan, the admiration clear in his voice.
Their own ship shuddered and vibrated as more shells slammed into the hull. A small fire broke out at the front, but they all ignored it. The ship was now in the Rift, and it would be seconds before they emerged from the other side. As Spartan usually did, he held his breath as if he was under water. The tunnel was something of a misnomer. It was more a doorway. As they slipped through, they appeared somewhere else, a place that Spartan had never seen. He wasn’t able to savor the moment because the Biomech warship was right behind them and entering the Rift.
“Spartan, we’ve got a problem...a big problem.”
Then they were completely through and into a different sector. They covered several kilometers before the bow of the enemy ship appeared.
“Here they come,” said Spartan softly.
The T’Kari moved through dozens of buttons and options, trying to keep their crippled warship as far away from their purser as possible. Then the Rift began to shudder. First it flickered like the crest of a wave as it shifted and moved about. Even the Biomech warship seemed to distort slightly, and then in the blink of an eye the Rift vanished, leaving the twisted remains of the front third of the Biomech ship drifting behind them. A single blue flash appeared from its center, and the remains tore themselves apart in a bright explosion. It looked like a growing ball of superheated plasma.
“Those crazy sons of bitches did it!” laughed Spartan, his relief clear in his face.
The image of their forward view moved slightly as the ship drifted out of control. At first they saw nothing, and then the great blue orb shifted in front of them. All five of them, even the T’Kari gazed at the shape with awe on their faces. Spartan wiped the sweat from his face and whispered to his friend.
“We’re home.”
He looked back at the blue planet, with its great oceans and large landmasses. He’d seen pictures of the world before, but he had never expected it to be quite as stunning as it was.
* * *
The lights faded slowly from black to daylight over a full minute. The windows from the medical facility looked out onto the city and provided a distraction for the many patients inside the building. Teresa opened her eyes slowly and looked about. She immediately noticed the monitoring equipment, machines, and cables attached to her body. She almost panicked but forced herself to stay calm. Her limbs felt weak, and for a second she feared she might be crippled. She lifted her hands in front of her face and sighed a breath of relief. The door opened, and in walked a doctor. He stopped at the end of her bed and looked at her.
“Major Morato, how are you feeling today?”
She wiped her eyes and tried to remember what had happened. She could see the images of the fighting on Helios, the blood, and her son. That was all.
“What happened?”
The doctor moved closer.
“You lost a lot of blood and suffered head trauma. You were in a coma until last week. Since then you’ve been moving in and out of consciousness.”
A coma?
She almost panicked at the news.
“How long?”
The doctor sat down on the bed beside her.
“You’ve been here almost nine months now. We didn’t expect you would wake up after the violence your body went through.”
“Jack?”
The doctor smiled.
“Private Jack Morato? He’s just fine. I spoke with him less than an hour ago. He is on his way back to Terra Nova, along with the casualties from his unit. Your other two children are also coming here. They will arrive within the week.”
“What's happened to him?” she asked, worrying about the mention of the casualties.
His face relaxed a little.
“Not him, sorry. He came through the ground combat completely unscathed. He’s one of the Heroes of Helios. Our forces helped overthrow the Helion dictator. We are now allies of Helios.”
Teresa looked at him and then out of the window to the towers and buildings of Terra Nova, the capital world of the Alliance. Although she felt weak, she forced herself to sit up, raising her gaze to the skies.
Now all I need is to find Spartan.
PROPHECY OF FIRE
STAR CRUSADES NEXUS, BOOK 5
By Michael G. Thomas
Part of the STAR CRUSADES series
First Edition
Copyright © 2013 Michael G. Thomas
Published by Swordworks Books
The official Star Crusades website:
www.starcrusader.com
The official Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/starcrusader
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
CHAPTER ONE
The heavy fighter losses sustained during the Great Uprising served as a reminder that the fighter program needed improvements. The existing stocks of Lightning and Thunderbolt fighters would be retained for years to come, but even the new Hammerhead couldn’t match the power and expendability of cheap robotic fighters. Though too late to participate in the fighting, the first squadron of X57 Avenger combat drones was activated aboard the newly commissioned Conqueror Class battlecruisers to serve alongside exiting fighter squadrons. Finally activated in 361CC, just a week after the Zathee standards were raised over the capital buildings on Helios, they would see action in their first few months of service.
Robots in Space
The battle of C34A should have been nothing more than a routine operation; instead, it became a watchword for one of the greatest military disasters in the history of the Helion military. It wasn’t even supposed to have been a battle, and in hindsight should never have been suggested. Even the name was itself something as a misnomer, as the Helions themselves were the agent of their own destruction. If superior forces had engaged the ships, it might have been inexcusable. As it happened, so the loss of every single soul spared them from the indignity at having been defeated by an inanimate object.
Twenty-one of the most adv
anced and powerful ships in the vast Helion Navy arrived at the allocated area with perfect timing and were well equipped and prepared for battle. As well as the ships, they were also accompanied by a dozen smaller vessels and over a hundred heavy fighters. Instead of glorious victory, the entire force was lost in the vain attempt at intercepting the deadly comet as it hurtled through space. The battle marked the lowest point in the Helion military for generations and was the greatest loss of military ships since the defeat of the Biomechs hundreds of years earlier.
The operation was conducted with a degree of planning and coordination that might be expected from the Helions. They approached the comet from the rear so that they might match its speed rather than smashing through it, something that would result in catastrophic damage as well as the loss of many, if not all the ships. Now traveling at nearly two hundred and fifty thousand kilometers per hour, the hunters and the hunted were finally in range, and the mission moved to the next phase.
Under the protection of a great cloud of fighters, a dozen large craft were launched to attach devices to parts of the comet. Each of these was at least five times larger than a fighter and carried the parts to assemble a complete gravity generator that would help move the comet off course. None had made it anywhere near the object before vanishing in a series of fireballs. There were no signs of debris that might cause the impact other than tiny particles of dust and ice that trailed the core. This immediately halted the plan to deflect the course of the comet by even a few meters using non-violent measures. This should have been enough to warn the Admiral and his captains that a new and more considered approach needed to be taken.
This time the fleet adjusted its course to avoid potential damage from the vast debris cloud that moved with the object. This meant the force of ships had to spread out by hundreds of kilometers. Weapon systems on the ships targeted floating debris that followed the comet like parasites. It took almost a full day for the fleet to pick its way through the deadly cloud so that they were position directly in front of swirling maelstrom. Once in front, it took incredible skill and bravery by Helion fighter pilots and the warship gunners to keep chunks of rock and ice from striking the ship. This was the only success in the entire operation and resulted in the entire group of ships being placed safely in the path of the blue orb.
Star Crusades Nexus: The Second Trilogy Page 23